Share: "Oh, John the Rabbit" - Elizabeth Mitchell

As previously noted, Elizabeth Mitchell will be releasing her next family music album, Sunny Day, later this year, October 5, to be exact. And she's just released a super-cute video for one of the tracks on the new disk, "Oh, John the Rabbit." You can view the video here. It's pretty simple, with Elizabeth, Daniel, Storey, bunnies, and a bunch of other kids. "John the Rabbit" is a pretty classic call-and-response song, one that Mitchell recorded on her very first kids album, You Are My Flower. Storey wasn't even born when that album was released more than a decade ago; to have her join in on this version seems pretty cool.

Anyway, if you like the video, you can also download the mp3 from that page as well for the price of an e-mail.

Update: The video's now on YouTube...

Elizabeth Mitchell - "Oh, John the Rabbit" [YouTube]

Uncle Rock, Liz Mitchell, and Zucchini Brothers Walk into a Bar...

... actually, they don't walk into a bar at all. But Uncle Rock and Ben Rudnick get quoted and they all are mentioned in an article on the kids music resurgence in this week's Metroland, an Albany, NY-area alternative weekly. (And, hey, I'm quoted.) I also like, in the last paragraph, the justification for family music:

As 21st-century parents, we expect musicians not just to entertain our kids, but us too. That may sound self- indulgent, and to some extent it is. But as entertainment companies beam their offerings to narrower and narrower demographic slices, the idea of parents and kids listening to the same music starts to sound pretty good.

Video: "My Family" - Laurie Berkner (with Elizabeth Mitchell, Suzi Shelton, Dirty Sock Funtime Band)

When Laurie Berkner pulls Elizabeth Mitchell, Suzi Shelton, and the Dirty Sock Funtime Band onto the stage during her set at the Haiti benefit they all performed at last weekend at Joe's Pub in New York City, well, that demands YouTubery. It's like The Last Waltz, but shorter and with lower video quality.

Laurie Berkner Band (and a cast of a dozen) - "My Family" (Live) [YouTube]

Remind: Ziggy, Elizabeth, (Daniel), and Jay. Tonight.

A quick reminder that Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton join Ziggy Marley on the Tonight Show, er, tonight (March 15). They'll be helping out with "I Love You Too" from Marley's Grammy-winning album Family Time. It's not the song that Mitchell helped out with on the album, but it'll do. Here's another version of the track to get you in the mood...

Ziggy Marley - "I Love You Too" [YouTube]

Why I'm Going to Kindiefest 2010

When I mentioned previously that registration for Kindiefest was open, I wasn't 100% sure that I was going myself. I mean, I had lots of fun last year, and this year promises to be even better (more panels, a keynote, a chance to hear 14 different artists playing live). But it's a really long flight from Phoenix, and a weekend away from the family essentially working.

Having said all that, I'm going. And now the panel I was asked to moderate is starting to take shape, I might've been willing to go to Brooklyn for that experience alone. The panel "Old School Meets New School," will talk about the generations of family musicians -- those who've been doing it for 3 years and those who've been doing it for 30 -- and their perspectives on making music for families in today's world. At the moment, the panel includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Suni Paz, and Bill Harley. Not to mention Kids Corner's Kathy O'Connell. (And I don't think the panel's quite complete.)

Yeah. You read that right. My chief goal in being moderator will be shutting up and not getting in the way.

Anyway, earlybird registration for the conference ends next Monday, so if you haven't seen the burgeoning list of speakers and artists, I encourage you to do so. See you in Brooklyn.